The air at Aurelius Academy didn't just smell of expensive perfume and old books; it hummed. As Shren walked through the marble corridors during the orientation tour, a familiar vibration radiated from his left wrist.
"Master," Vane's voice whispered in his mind. "Do not be deceived by the mundane facade. This place is a nest of 'Legacy Holders.'"
Shren sharpened his senses. He saw them—scattered among the crowd of heirs and geniuses. A girl with a ring that flickered with a faint blue frost; a tall, arrogant boy whose watch pulsed with a rhythmic, heavy thud like a second heart. These were people with artifacts, but their energy felt thin—like a candle flame compared to the roaring sun of Shren's Vancurial Shackle.
The tour guide, a stern woman in a grey suit, explained the Ranking System. "At Aurelius, you are not just students. You are assets. Your Performance Points (PP) determine your dorm, your food, and your access to the advanced labs. The bottom ten percent are expelled every semester."
Shren noticed Kaelen paling beside him. In this world of magical artifacts and cutthroat rankings, his friend was purely human. He was vulnerable.
"Don't worry, Kae," Shren whispered. "I've got you."
That evening, back in the safety of the Aethelgard Vault, Shren approached the great treasure pile. Deep within the mountain of gold, he found a shimmering, crimson quill: The Phoenix Feather.
"Vane, can he use this?"
"It is a Lesser Relic, Master," Vane explained. "It grants the user enhanced agility and the ability to manifest a 'Blaze Blade.' It is perfect for one who lacks a bloodline."
Shren called Kaelen to his house. For the first time, he revealed everything. He spoke the word—"Enthropance"—and pulled a terrified Kaelen into the 4th-dimensional mansion. He introduced him to the stoic, beautiful Xiwu and the ever-composed Vane.
"This... this is where you've been?" Kaelen gasped, staring at the starlit ceiling.
"I'm rewriting my fate, Kae. And I'm taking you with me."
Shren handed him the Phoenix Feather. The moment Kaelen's fingers touched it, the feather dissolved into a tattoo of a burning wing on his forearm. For the next month, while the school remained closed, the training was relentless. Shren didn't go easy on him. He used his own enhanced speed to push Kaelen to his limits, while Xiwu taught the boy how to summon the flame-sword from his soul.
By the end of the month, Kaelen was no longer just a "rich kid." He was a warrior in training, his eyes burning with the same fire as Shren's.
As the sun rose on the first official day of the semester, the two friends stood before the gates of Aurelius Academy once more. They weren't just there to study; they were there to conquer.